Worth every penny

Back in 2001 we decided to finish our basement. The idea was that the kids would have somewhere to play and a place to store their toys, without having to clutter up the house. We also installed a gym and a pool table. Over the years it has not been used much; when they were young the kids didn't like being down there on their own; they wanted to be in the thick of things in the family room. The novelty of a pool table wore off and it has sat there gathering dust for the past 10 years. And even the gym only gets used once in a blue moon, usually at the start of the latest keep fit resolution.

But finally it has paid off. Increasingly on the weekends one of the kids will have a movie night with a group of their friends. They don't want to be with us and frankly, we don't want them with us, so the basement is perfect. It has a 46 inch wall mounted TV with a Wii and Xbox. All the furniture that we have gradually replaced from the family room over the years is now in the basement. There is even a small fridge for their drinks. Its a perfect solution. Shame we had to wait so long before it showed its worth but on the nights when I sit in my family room and can hear the distant sound of seven 16 year olds talking and shouting from below, I thank my lucky stars there is a floor between us and that they are not in the next room.